1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to floor panels, and more particularly to floor panels for use in elevated floor assemblies.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Elevated floor assemblies, also called full access floor assemblies, are becoming more popular in today's building construction. Such assemblies provide a large chamber directly beneath the elevated floor in which mechanical equipment, conditioned air ducts, electrical ducts and the like are housed. The chamber also may serve as a plenum through which conditioned air is delivered to or removed from the various rooms of the building. Elevated floor assemblies comprise a plurality of pedestals which are uniformly distributed over a previously completed floor surface, such as, a concrete pad or slab. The pedestals cooperate in supporting the floor panels. The floor panels, acting as a group, provide a relatively flat, high-strength floor which sustains walking and standing of personnel, supports the apparatus and furnishings of the room, and supports moving loads as apparatus and furnishings are introduced into the room or are altered and replaced.
The floor panels preferably are individually removable to provide ready access to the chamber therebeneath. In addition, the panel-to-panel joints preferably are substantially air-tight to reduce air losses when the chamber is used as an air distributing plenum, and to reduce transmission of air-borne sound in the chamber through the joint to the room above. Attempts have been made to satisfy the seemingly inconsistent requirements of ready removability and a substantially air-tight joint.
For example, an edge or finishing strip formed from yieldable material, has been provided around the perimeter of the floor panel, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,236,018 (GRAHAM et al) and 4,295,319 (GRIFFIN). The finishing strip presents a vertical face which engages the vertical face presented by the trim member of adjacent panels thereby providing the desired sealed joint. However, the relatively large area of contact between the vertical faces inhibits easy removal of the panel.
In other examples, an edge or finishing strip is provided wherein the face is tapered or chamfered to reduce the area of contact between adjacent panels, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,396,501 (TATE) and 4,279,109 (MADL, JR.). While the area of contact is reduced thereby facilitating panel removal, the possibility exists that an air seal is not formed between adjacent panels particularly in that instance where one floor panel is smaller in lateral dimensions than the adjacent panel. The MADL, JR. '109 reference attempts to overcome the problem introduced by panel size variations by providing cooperating indexing members on the bottom surface of the panel and the top surface of each pedestal. The cooperating indexing members are said to exactly position the panels with respect to each other to assure panel alignment and a properly sealed joint between adjacent panels. The MADL, JR. '109 arrangement requires precise positioning of the indexing members on each pedestal and requires precise positioning of the cooperating indexing members on each panel--such precision work adding significantly to the cost of manufacturing and hence the overall cost of the elevated floor assembly.
In another example, the customary floor covering and the finishing strip are replaced by a flexible, slightly resilient floor covering material, such as carpeting, which covers the upper surface of a core and extends downwardly around all core edges and inwardly for a short distance along the bottom surface of the core. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,681,882 (BETTINGER). The arrangement is said to provide a substantially air-tight panel-to-panel joint, to reduce the dimensional tolerance requirements for the core, to accommodate panel size variations, and allows easy removal and replacement of the floor panel. However, the arrangement is used solely in those situations where carpeting may be used. Where vinyl tile covering is desired, the arrangement cannot be used.